WHILE THE OWNER OF A PIPELINE THAT STRETCHES FROM MONTREAL TO PORTLAND HAS NO PLANS TO BRING TAR SANDS OIL HERE, THERE'S ONGOING CONTROVERSY ABOUT THAT POSSIBILITY. GETTING OIL FROM TAR SANDS HAS BEEN DEBATED BECAUSE IT TAKES MORE ENERGY AND IS MORE COSTLY TO DO. MANY PEOPLE FEAR THAT IF A PIPELINE CARRYING THE OIL TO MAINE RUPTURES, IT COULD CAUSE AN ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE. AND AS A RESULT, A GROUP CALLED "PROTECT SOUTH PORTLAND" DRAFTED A CITY ORDINANCE TO CHANGE ZONING LAWS TO BLOCK PUMPING STATIONS. VOTERS WILL HAVE A SAY THIS NOVEMBER ON THE PLAN. BUT THE FOCUS ON THE DEBATE HAS SHIFTED TO THE FUTURE OF THE BUSINESSES WHO ALREADY EXIST ON THE SOUTH PORTLAND WATERFRONT. TODAY, A GROUP CALLED THE "WORKING WATERFRONT COALITION" SHARED WHY THEY FEEL THE PROPOSAL COULD COST THEM JOBS AND MONEY. W-M-T-W NEWS 8'S KATIE THOMPSON, LIVE WITH MORE. THE GROUP IS CALLING THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE RISKY, WRECKLESS AND WRONG, SAYING IT WILL FORCE EXISTING PETROLEUM COMPANIES TO LEAVE. SOUTH PORTLAND'S MAYOR SAYS IF IT'S APPROVED HE WILL ENCOURAGE THESE BUSINESSES TO STAY. HE SAYS THE WATERFRONT PROTECTION ORDINANCE IS SIMPLY ABOUT KEEPING TAR SANDS OUT. SOUTH PORTLAND BETH STURTEVANT/BOARD PRESIDENT/ASSOCIAT ED GENERAL CONTRACTORS TOM BLAKE/MAYOR OF SOUTH PORTLAND JAMIE PY/MAINE ENERGY MARKETERS ASSOC. DR. CHARLES LAWTON/ECONOMIST IT'S A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD PREVENT THE FLOW OF SO-CALLED TAR- SANDS OIL INTO THE CITY OF SOUTH PORTLAND. BUT SOME ARGUE THAT THE WATERFRONT PROTECTION ORDINANCE WOULD DO MORE THAN JUST THAT. "each time we take a 'not in my back yard approach' we lose opportunity for everyone." THE ORDINANCE BLOCKS OIL COMPANIES FROM BUILDING EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO THE FLOW OF TAR SANDS. SOUTH PORTLAND MAYOR TOM BLAKE SAYS HE SUPPORTS THE PROPOSAL, WHICH HE CALLS A HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE CITY. "people don't want to reside in a community that has potentially the dirtiest oil on earth the waterfront protection ordinance does the opposite it protects our shoreland." BUT TO PROTECT THE SHORELAND, THE ORDINANCE PREVENTS EXISTING PETROLEUM RELATED FACILITIES IN THE SHIPYARD DISTRICT FROM GROWING OR EXPANDING, WHICH HAS SOME PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY WORRIED. THE "WORKING WATERFRONT COALITION" RELEASED A STUDY SHOWING A COSTLY EFFECT ON WATERFRONT BUSINESSES IF THE PROPOSAL IS APPROVED BY SOUTH PORTLAND VOTERS NOVEMBER 5TH. "it will eliminate a large portion and the majority of the shipping traffic that comes to the port of Portland." DR. CHARLES LAWTON, AN ECONOMIST WHO PREPARED A STUDY FOR THE "WORKING WATERFRONT COALITION" SAYS LESS TRAFFIC IN THE PORT, MEANS AN INCREASE TO THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION FOR BUSINESSES WHO SELL PETROLEUM PRODUCTS. LAWTON BELIEVES THIS WOULD ULTIMATELY INCREASE ENERGY COSTS AS WELL. "the impact of that fourth energy impact would be the equivalent of 5600 jobs and 250 million dollars worth of income." THE WORKING WATERFRONT COALITION IS HOLDING AN INFORMATIVE MEETING THIS THURSDAY AT 7PM AT THE REDBANK COMMUNITY CENTER. ULTIMATELY THIS DECISION WILL BE LEFT UP TO VOTERS TO DECIDED ON NOVEMBER 5TH. LIVE IN SP KT WMTW NEWS 8